Rewind - To Meet Earlier
by I.W.P-chan
Summary: Goro Week Day 2: Favorite Quote/The Moment He Became (One Of) Your Favorite Character(s). Goro spends a day with Akira at the gym.


Summary: Goro Week Day 2: Favorite Quote/The Moment He Became (One Of) Your Favorite Character(s). Goro spends a day with Akira at the gym.

 _Note: am I even following the prompts at this point?_

 _I have no idea._

 _Picking the prompt 'favorite quote': If Only We Met Earlier._

 **Warnings: AKIRA BE BLUSHING THIS IS NOT A DRILL, Dangers Of Zero Stats Akira, INTROSPECTION AGAIN, Unlike What The Prompt May Imply This Fic Is Fluffy/Funny, That Epic Failure Moment With The Treadmill (You Know The One), Akira Doesn't Have The Guts To Deal With This, Excessive Description Of The Characters' Actions, Question Of The Day: When Will Akechi Realize That He Be Gay?.**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own P5.

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" _If only we met earlier."_ Goro remembered saying this to Joker, inside his father's Palace, defeated and kneeling on the floor.

Goro still maintained the sentiment, the wish that he met Kurusu Akira earlier in his life, even after he found himself in the past with knowledge of what would happen to him should he make himself available for Shido, the knowledge that directed him away from contacting his cursed father.

His self from a couple of years ago would have thought that perhaps there was no need any more to have Kurusu in his life that much earlier, but here and now, observing Kuru- Akira (as he insisted he be called, with much more blushing than Goro could have ever expected or imagined) as he trained at the gym, he realized that he'd had a selfish need, a powerful desire, for Akira's presence in his life that differed from just deterring Goro from throwing his life away.

Goro liked having Akira around, liked talking with Akira, liked Akira's presence and companionship, even if the two were just silently working through another shift at one of their various part-time jobs.

Hell, even Morgana's presence was enjoyable when he had no reason to be suspicious of Goro, even though the cat didn't even suspect that Goro could understand him.

The wonderful differences not being Shido's puppet in the Metaverse made in his life would never cease to take his breath away.

In front of him, Akira didn't seem to be able to keep up with how fast the treadmill was going and tripped, falling in a defeated heap on the gym's floor.

Morgana stared at Akira in surprise, and while Goro was surprised, he was busy hiding his spontaneous snort.

The sight was hilarious, so sue him.

"A-are you alright?" Goro moved to Akira's side, but Akira merely stayed slumped on the floor, "Akira?" Concern slipped into Goro's voice as he reached a hand to shake Akira; did he hit his head harder than Goro thought?

"You're laughing," Akira mumbled, and Goro sighed in relief.

"I'm not."

Akira pushed himself into a seated position but kept his head averted to the ground, causing Goro to frown and reach a hand to Akira's face.

Akira let him check for a bump without any protest, merely taking his glasses off to allow Goro easy access, and Goro's heart nearly burst from his chest at the trust.

Goro couldn't feel any bump, so he framed Akira's face in his hands and raised it to check for any scraps.

That was when he saw the luminous red coloring Akira's cheeks.

It took him a few seconds longer than it should to realize what it meant, and that was only when he saw that Akira kept his gaze averted to the ground.

"You're blushing," He said in disbelief.

Morgana grumbled exasperatedly, "Oh, come _on_."

Akira's blush merely intensified as he ducked his head, causing his bangs to hide his face from view, and shoved his glasses back on.

 _How cute._

Goro quickly banished that thought to the deepest recesses of his mind and tentatively placed a hand on Akira's shoulder, "Hey."

Akira merely made a vague noise in response.

"It's okay. I was just surprised."

Slowly, Akira raised his head, only one eye visible through the glare of lights reflected off his glasses (at this point, Goro had stopped questioning the light trick Akira's glasses did on regular basis), and blush still obvious on his cheeks.

It was strange to know Akira had basically no guts to just keep going like the Kurusu whom Goro had known in the past, or would come to know in the future.

"Let's take a break."

Akira nodded and climbed to his feet, and Goro did the same, heading for his bag to take out a bottle of water to throw it Akira's way.

Akira fumbled to catch it, and ducked his head in embarrassment again, "Thanks,"

"No problem, Akira." Goro smiled lightly at him, and this time, his smile was more natural, more genuine, than it had been a month ago when he'd first met Akira.

Akira raised his head slightly to peek at Goro, and Goro noticed his blush intensify before he ducked his head again.

Goro chuckled fondly, how was Akira so cute? Goro couldn't even stop himself from thinking such things, and he didn't think he could in the future.

Or maybe he could? He mused, if Akira graduated from being cute to being a handsome devil, then Goro could keep up with Akira's physical appeal.

He'd done it once before, he could do it again.

(Or, well, he hoped he could do it again; it wouldn't do to be a blushing incoherent, non-functioning mess in front of Akira in the future, he had a _reputation_.)

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End


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